Antioxidant potential of eugenol and ginger essential oils with gelatin/chitosan films

Eugenol and ginger essential oils were incorporated in different film formulations to produce active films that might be used as food packaging. Optical, microstructural, mechanical, and barrier properties were characterized, as well as their antioxidant activity. Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy analysis confirmed the presence of new bands with addition of eugenol or ginger essential oils, and scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy analyses showed an increases in roughness values (p < 0.05), which may be due to the no-homogeneous distribution of oils in film matrix. A significant increase of elasticity (p < 0.05) was observed in all films after any antioxidant incorporation, while water vapor permeability was not greatly affected. Films based on a gelatin-chitosan blend with the addition of eugenol showed the best antioxidant activity based on the Trolox-equivalent-antioxidant-capacity test (p < 0.05), highlighting its potential use as active packaging for shelf life extension of food products with high oxidation potential.